Studio Brief 2 - Object - Research - Doomsday Clock

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Doomsday Clockwork

The Doomsday Clock was created in 1947 in response to the increased danger of nuclear weapons and a likelihood of an arms race between America and the Soviet Union. The clock aims to warn the public about the dangers of manmade technologies and how they could potentially destroy the world. The prevalence of nuclear weapons and more recently climate change are significant factors in deciding the time on the Doomsday Clock.

The clock was set at two minutes to twelve in 1953 when the United States and Soviet Union both tested thermonuclear weapons. The clock was farthest from midnight in 1991 when it was set to 17 minutes to midnight at the end of the Cold War. A treaty was signed by the Soviet Union and the USA to cut nuclear weapons.

The time is decided by a board of experts and scientists who are experienced in climate science and nuclear technologies. The clock does not predict the future, it is only based on events that have happened. Numbers and statistics are reviewed and leaders and organisations efforts to reduce dangers and negotiate agreements are also taken into consideration.

The use of the clock has provided a way of showing the risks to the human race and has encouraged leaders to increase communication and negotiate with one another to create solutions to problems.

Both nuclear weapons and fuel powered machines are manmade so we know how they work and how they could be reduced.